Review: Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry (audio)

Title: Under the Harrow

Author: Flynn Berry

Narrator: Fiona Hardingham

Published: June 2016, Blackstone Audio

Length: 6 hours 5 minutes

Source: Library

 

When Nora takes the train from London to visit her sister in the countryside, she expects to find her waiting at the station, or at home cooking dinner. But when she walks into Rachel’s familiar house, what she finds is entirely different: her sister has been the victim of a brutal murder.

Stunned and adrift, Nora finds she can’t return to her former life. An unsolved assault in the past has shaken her faith in the police, and she can’t trust them to find her sister’s killer. Haunted by the murder and the secrets that surround it, Nora is under the harrow: distressed and in danger. As Nora’s fear turns to obsession, she becomes as unrecognizable as the sister her investigation uncovers.

A riveting psychological thriller and a haunting exploration of the fierce love between two sisters, the distortions of grief, and the terrifying power of the past, Under the Harrow marks the debut of an extraordinary new writer.

 

My thoughts:

I love when I stumble upon debut authors, and this one sure wrote a beauty!  While this is a short book, it is not to be discounted…it definitely hooks you right from the beginning and packs quite a punch.

What I loved about this short, yet completely engaging book is that absolutely everything is completely necessary. There is no part of it that is superfluous. It’s haunting and atmospheric, yet so very clever and you find yourself wrapped up in the storyline right from the start.  

Nora, who finds her sister murdered, wants nothing more than to find out who is responsible. But, as time goes on, it becomes clear that she might not be the most reliable of narrators. As we follow along with her trying to solve the murder – she does not hold the police in the highest regards – we experience with her her stages of grief. She’s angry, sad, disoriented – all over the place – her emotions are raw and palpable.

There are twists and turns that keep the tension high and have you flying through the book to figure out just what has really happened. It’s a complicated, twisted story with nothing being as it seems.  

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from Flynn Berry! 

 

Audio thoughts:

I’ve listened to Fiona Hardingham narrate books before and enjoy her narrations. She did an amazing job with this story, her British accent coming into play perfectly. Her pacing was spot on for this psychological thriller, and she delivered just the right amount of tension in her voice when needed. I will definitely be looking into what else she has narrated as I really enjoy her performances.